Towards the bottom of the page you'll see some great pictures of Cranbrook Lake and the surrounding trails. If you and your photographer have the moxie to sneak onto the grounds you should be able to get a lot of good engagement photos on the trails and near the Cranbrook House Gardens like the ones featured on this website. You probably would not be able to do formal wedding day photos in Cranbrook without paying. Security is generally relaxed but they aren't lazy. If you went over there wearing a tux and a wedding dress they probably would spot you and kick you out. I don't think they would call the cops, however.

View sample Cranbrook Wedding Photos

Read more about  weddings at Cranbrook and wedding photography at Cranbrook.

We highly recommend the Troy Museum and Historic Village for your photography venue.

We found it to be a great alternative site to the A-list sites like Cranbrook or Meadowbrook for a few reasons. First, the Troy Museum is nice because it is compact and does not get as much foot traffic as the A-list sites yet it has enough scenic variations and backdrops to make for some striking wedding day pictures. With less crowds you won't have to wait for pedestrians to move out of the way of your pictures. The museum grounds are on about 1 acre of land so it is substantially more compact than the other sites. In Troy, the buildings are nice and close together -- that means less walking for you and less chance you will get grass stains on your wedding dress or rental tuxedo.

Second, the museum has charming backdrops (see village pictures). The Troy Historic Village looks like a mid-1800s small-town scene plucked from Davy Crockett (but in the midwest). If you're familiar with the metro Detroit area attractions think Greenfield Village but reduced down to a handful of buildings on 1 acre of land. The museum website has several pictures of the village. Troy's historic village features a variety of quality photo spots. We used the log cabin, a small church, a great one-room school house, an elegant large gazebo in the middle of the village, the print shop with a long porch, and some of the rusted wagons they have lying around. These little buildings make interesting backdrops for your photography.

Third, price and convenience. The museum is less than a 5 minute drive from the Troy Marriott so it is convenient while being surprisingly picturesque. Definitely better than taking pictures in the hotel lobby. The cost to reserve the museum site for the afternoon was a mere $50 security deposit and $50 usage fee for our entire wedding party and immediate family members. In contrast, Cranbrook charges $100 PER PERSON to photograph on their grounds. For our large party of 5 groomsmen, 5 brides maids, and 8 family members Cranbrook would have cost $1,800 just to be there for two hours. I may be a Cranbrook alumnae but that screams RIPOFF.

In addition, the Troy museum's employees were nice and even let us sit in some of the air conditioned employees-only areas because it was really hot out during our photo session. They were very kind. By comparison Meadowbrook states very specifically in their contracts that photography groups may not enter any of the buildings nor may they use the facilities. That's just jerky.

Thus, if you're having a wedding in Troy, take a look at the Troy Museum and Historic Village. You will not be disappointed.

Reference:

Troy Museum and Historic Village
60 W. Wattles Rd (at Livernois Rd)
Troy, Michigan 48098

Troy Historical Society

Cranbrook Photography

Since I went to middle school and high school at Cranbrook I got accustomed to scenery. I never felt a great loyalty towards the school and I know if I do anything there, Cranbrook boosters will be hitting me up for money for the rest of my life. In fact, they already do hit me up for money all the time.

Update (1/18/2010): To get a good idea of how nice Cranbrook really is, check out these pictures from a real wedding at Cranbrook House.

If the weddings are anything like the events we had during school I would say yes, your surroundings will be beautiful. I am sure the management has draconian policies and restrictions on everything to protect the furniture and interior. Employees are highly protective of the grounds and the building interiors and they watch you like a hawk. Don't count on being able to pee in the bushes or make out in the parking lot.

http://www.cranbrook.edu/about/venue/

If you want full details, download the PDF I received from the Meadow Brook offices.

Meadow Brook Photo Shoot Guidelines

• $250 for 2.5 hours. Wedding or engagement photos.
• $1,250 for 4 hours.
• $2,500 for 8 hours.